Paper Topic:

The European Renaissance

Running Header : EUROPEAN RENAISSANCE

European Renaissance

The European Renaissance began in Florence , Italy in the 14th century . No one is sure why it began in Florence , although there are several theories . The Renaissance changed the way literature , art philosophy politics , science and religion were viewed and expressed . It was a rebirth ' of learning based on classical ideas and many United States social , cultural and political institutions have been influenced by advances made during the Renaissance

The Renaissance had two main philosophies , humanism and individualism . Humanism emphasizes the necessity of living

in the physical world more than the spiritual or religious and suggested that physical existence was just as important as preparing for the spiritual existence after death . Individualism was highly prized as well , with innovative thinkers and radical artists becoming the examples to follow

One of the cultural institutions in the United States that was and continues to be influenced by the Renaissance is the education system Before the Renaissance , education was rare and books were too expensive for anyone but the clergy . In addition , the books were in Latin or Greek and could not be read by most people . The invention of the printing press , during the Renaissance , changed that forever

Education is a high priority in the United States and it was the invention of the printing press that enabled mass production of printed material . The bible was able to be mass produced and in local languages not Greek and Latin . This enabled more people to study the Bible for themselves . Mass production also made it cheaper to buy books for education purposes and that increased the interest in better education Today 's newss and internet follow the example set by the mass production in the Renaissance and our education system reflects a society that stresses knowledge ( Printing and Thinking ' 2007

Another of the current institutions effected by the Renaissance was the Church . As the Bible became widely available and people began to focus more on a good life rather than a good afterlife , people began to question the Church 's authority and other sects began forming . The church became known as the Roman Catholic Church and the sects became modern day Lutherans and Protestants . The division of the Churches remains today , with even more denominations developing over time . This division became known as the Protestant

Reformation and the churches have been separate to this day (Rex , 2000 br

. 51

The Scientific Revolution of the Renaissance was another area that effected modern day science and medicine . The Scientific Revolution was a transformation in scientific ideas in physics , astronomy and biology Two of the ideas produced during that time affected our science and medicine fields today . Nicolaus Copernicus put forth the theory of heliocentrism or the idea that the sun is the center of the universe or solar system and published On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres in 1543 . Andreas Vesalius discovered that the circulation of blood resolved from pumping of the heart . He also assembled the first...

6 pages

39.5 KB

Free sing-up